


gunpoint

by noalarmsandnosuprises



Series: whumptober 2019 [2]
Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-25 22:29:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20919665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noalarmsandnosuprises/pseuds/noalarmsandnosuprises
Summary: “Thanks, Ben,” He sighed gratefully. “I don’t know what I’d do without -“ Peter cut himself off abruptly. Something was screaming at him - not a person, something at the back of his mind, something that made his neck prickle sharply. Peter whirled around, staring into the road they had just came.





	gunpoint

**Author's Note:**

> whump for 5: gunpoint. meant to upload it yesterday but i’ve been flying around a lot and lost a lot of hours (and internet connection). hope you enjoy.

“Ben?” Peter whispered, opening his door. He had spent the past few days sick, which he had thought was a horrible case of the flu but later realised it was something much, much worse. 

It had started with a field trip to Oscorp, a permission slip signed by his Uncle Ben. It was exciting, attending a trip to a company that worked with the latest tech on the latest products. Peter’s favourite thing in the entire world was science and going there was a dream come true. 

And then his group rounded the corner as a junior scientist was explaining to him the internship process and how he could apply with the help of his Principal or Chemistry teacher. When he looked up, his group was gone. 

“I think they went this way,” The scientist had said, pointing toward a metal door on the other side of the room without looking up. Peter had ducked through the door, aboutto launch into an explanation to Ned of interns and how this was a first step to becoming a real scientist, but Ned wasn’t there. In fact, none of his class was, or his teachers. 

Instead, what had greeted him was a room of spiders. Peter remembered he had watched in horror, frozen to the spot as one crawled out of a glass tank and crept towards him on a thin web, crawled up over his shoulder and down his arm, past the cuff of his science shirt and bit him, hard, on the wrist. 

The pain Peter had felt was unfathomable. White hot flames had danced under the bite, crept up his arm and throughout his body. It felt as though billions of knives were clawing at his arm and Peter recalled howling in pain as he stumbled out the door and promptly vomited. 

“Oh, no,” The scientist he had been speaking to had looked up suddenly, false worry lacing her voice. “Have you got a tummy bug, sweetie?” 

“Can you call my Aunt?” He had choked out, tears streaming down his face. The pain was ebbing; adrenaline taking over, but the worst was still yet to come. 

May picked him up with a worried expression and soft tone, tucked him into bed with two painkillers and a glass of water and left for her evening shift with numerous apologies. “I’ll be back soon, baby,” She had said, stroking his hair. “Call me if you feel worse.”

He didn’t call her. As the night progressed the white-hot fire feeling only increased to the point Peter had deliriously wondered if every atom was ripping apart from his body, dousing itself in flames and moulding itself back together. He must have collapsed after that, for the next time he was awake it was dark and Ben was standing over him, frowning. 

“You’re doing good, son,” He’d smiled wearily. “Fever’s almost over now.”

Ben must have been right. The next time he woke up he felt a lot better -  _stronger_ , even. He had fumbled for his glasses on his bedside table and then realised he could make out the entire outline, the frames and the lenses; he did not need them anymore. 

A series of abnormal events followed. Peter climbed out of bed and stumbled over to his mirror. His jawline was sharper, face more angular; all traces of baby fat had melted overnight. He now had  abs , muscles in his arms and legs he definitely had not had the night before. Other things had changed too - as he went to touch his reflection, his fingertips stuck to the glass and he ripped it off he wall, mirror stuck to his hand and little bits of plaster floating to the floor. 

“The spider bite,” He had realised, whispering out aloud, “It’s - oh, my god, my DNA - I’m a spider.” 

Neither Ben nor May were around to hear Peter’s revelation - they were both at work - and so Peter spent the rest of the day figuring out his newfound powers and who the hell he was going to tell first and how. 

May would freak out, threaten to sue Oscorp and possibly scream. She’d overreact and as much as Peter loved her he didn’t think he could deal with that kind of added stress right now. 

The only other option was Ben. He would listen, Peter guessed, then ask questions and then, only then would he maybe start threatening to sue. And so he made up his mind, took a deep breath and sat listening for Ben’s footsteps (something he could do now). 

“Ben?” He whispered. “You home?” 

“Hey, Petey!” His uncle bounced into his room, dropping his police cap and badge on the table. “How are you feeling, buddy? That was a rough turn you took.” 

Peter noticed how distraught he looked, the bags underneath his eyes and the whiteness of his face. Ben and May had already spent a good few days worrying - did he really want to send them down that path again? 

But Ben’s eyebrows were already furrowing, his eyes raking Peter’s face. “You’ve changed, Petey.” 

“Y - yeah,” He stuttered. There was no backing out now. “Can - can we go for a walk, Ben?” 

His uncle looked at him, biting his lip. “Sure, Petey. Let me write a note to May - “ He pulled a pen out of his pocket and marched across the kitchen to grab a post-it-note, putting the lid in his mouth as he scrawled a quick message. “There. Let’s go.” 

Peter didn’t speak as they walked down the apartment steps and down into the street. It was only when they passed Delmar’s that he opened his mouth. 

“Ben,” He started slowly, hands in pockets, “Remember the Oscorp trip?”

“Yeah,” Ben replied. “What about it?” 

“I - I got lost,” Peter stared at the ground. “A scientist said I should go this - uh, through a certain door, but I don’t think she was watching because I ended up in a room of - of spiders.” 

“Spiders?” Uncle Ben echoed. “The hell they doing with spiders?” 

“Mutating them,” Peter answered. His voice was shaking now, hard, and Ben put a hand on his shoulder to still him. They both stopped walking. “Changing their DNA. Making them crazy. And - and one of them bit me.” 

Ben drew in a breath sharply. “What?” 

“It - I think it altered my DNA. I think I’m part spider now. I can - I can do things. I’m different,” He said quickly. Ben didn’t move, didn’t breathe. 

“Do you not believe me?” He asked timidly, staring at the ground. 

“No, no - god, kiddo,” Ben lifted his chin, watery grin smiling down at him. “I just - this is big, buddy. Are you okay? Are you in danger? What - what can you do? How can I help?

“I’m fine,” Peter smiled back tentatively. “I’m not - no danger. I - I can stick to things. I’m really strong? I can hear things blocks away, I heard you get out your keys on the street from the apartment. Everything’s - my vision’s fixed - better than fixed, I can smell  _everything_ -“

“Whoa,” Ben squeezed his shoulder.“Super-Man, are you?” 

“More like Spider-Man,” Peter snorted. Ben pulled him in for a hug, one hand on the back of his head. 

“Hey,” He said. “You’re gonna be okay, alright? You’ve got this new power and - and we’re gonna work through it responsibly. Together. You and May and me.”

“Okay,” Peter mumbled, voice muffled by Ben’s shoulder. “I - I love you, Ben.”

“Love you too, squirt.” Ben pulled away, smiling. He threw an arm around his shoulders, rounding the corner of an alleyway. “I’m glad you told me. Let’s go let May know, huh?

“Thanks, Ben,” He sighed gratefully. “I don’t know what I’d do without -“ Peter cut himself off abruptly. Something was screaming at him - not a person, something at the back of his mind, something that made his neck prickle sharply. Peter whirled around, staring into the road they had just came. “Ben?”

“Pe -“

He heard the footsteps before Ben did. Someone raced down the alleyway, an unmistakable object outstretched in his hand. The screaming got louder as the steps drew closer, prickling growing sharper. 

“Give me your money!” A balaclava-clad man screamed, brandishing his gun in front of their face. “Your wallet, card - hand it over!” 

Peter froze. Every atom was still, breath lodged in his throat. He’d never seen down the barrel of a gun before, never even seen a gun in his life. 

Out of the corner of his eye he watched Ben’s hand twitch, edge towards his belt, but he had left his badge and gun at home. He was off duty. Still, Ben moved forward, one hand in the air. 

“Put down the weapon,” He said slowly, years of training and working out in the field helping his voice to stay steady“Put down the weapon and we can talk. There’s no need to hurt anyone.”

“Want me to blow your son’s brains out?” He screamed. The gun moved from Ben’s face to Peter’s. “Give me all your money,  _now_. ”

Ben stepped backwards. Peter could see his terrified expression, the fear underneath his steely mask. The back of his neck screamed again, fingers tingling with anxiety and stomach dropping as though he were on a rollercoaster. Every single instinct was crying out for him to run, for h to turn to the left, get away, but his heat wasn’t beating and his lungs weren’t working because he was staring down the barrel of a gun and he was about to die - 

And then the man’s index finger pulled the trigger and Peter could see the bullet release from the fund see the smoke trail and hear the slow-releasing bang and the bullet was coming towards him but so was something else, something screaming and yelling and then there was a thud and a groan and the sound of someone sprinting and Peter was on the ground before he knew it, staring down at Ben, who had a bullet in his chest. 

“Ben?” His voice cracked. “Ben - what?” 

Ben shot him a watery smile, tears brewing in his eyes as he pressed his hands to the growing scarlet stain, a quiet cry of pain escaping his lips. “It’s okay, Petey. I’m okay. You’re alright - you’re safe now.”

“I could have -  Ben, oh my god, oh my -  you knew - I could have taken it,” He sobbed, hands hovering over his uncle’s chest. Ben was going to die. Ben was going to die just like his mother and father. 

“He - hey,” Ben wheezed, turning to the side to cough up a string of blood. “You’re so strong, Petey. I’m -  so  pr - proud.”

“You - Ben,” He cried. Tears were streaming down his face. “Ben, let me get help, please, I love you -“

“And - and I love you, too, Petey,” Ben slurred. His face was growing whiter. “S’ my job to prot - tect you an’ May. Love her. To bits. Don’ blame y’rself.”

“You can’t go,” Peter screamed. “Please, Ben! I - I - “

“Look after her,” His uncle reached out a shaking hand and stroked his face. Peter grabbed it, still howling with sobs. “You’ll d - do great things, Petey. I’ll be proud no matter what.” 

And then he died. His hand dropped from Peter’s face and thudded against his arm, his eyes turned glassy, gaze still fixed on Peter. Ben’s mouth fell open, all joints relaxing, spilling out onto the ground just like his blood had before. 

“Son?” 

Peter’s neck snapped up. A police officer - Sam Burns, Ben’s old partner and one of his best mates who frequented their apartment after shifts - stepped into the alley, badge out and gun drawn. 

“Peter? What the f - what are you,” He trailed off, eyes flicking down to Peter’s expression and then the body underneath his hands. “Is that - oh my god - Ben?”

“He - saved me,” Peter sobbed. “I could have -  _I should have caught the bullet and he saved me_. ”

“Oh, no,” Sam sighed, wiping a hand across his face. “Kiddo, you were the most important thing him. He valued your life over his.”

“But I _could_ have caught it!” He wailed. “I could have caught it and he knew it!” 

Sam exhaled slowly, crossed the space between them in two strides and bent down to the ground. He stretched a hand out, fingers flexing, and closed Ben’s open eyes. “Farewell, buddy.” He stood up, wrapping an arm around Peter and helping him to his feet. “Let’s get you home, huh? Let’s get you home.”

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys thanks for reading! if you liked it please leave kudos and comments! thankyou!


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